A guide to RPing

A big thanks to the creator of this guide, from Legend of Zelda.com------------------------------------------------Role-Playing Games (RPG's) have become one of the most popular past-times in today's youth and in society in general. There is a myriad of ways to RPG, from cards to boardgames, videogames to what we will discuss here: Text Role-Playing Games (TRPG). TRPG is, at it's core, storytelling. It is neither plane nor simple as you will soon find out. Though the idea of simply telling a story seems rather easy, there are numerous factors which many who attempt to participate in this particular kind of RPG fail to realize and thus are rather horrible at it. I can still remember my first RPG'ing. Was I great? No, but I knew how to write, I knew the basics of what I needed to know in order to be a decent starting RPG'er. I am by no means a master at the art, but I have learned enough to know what is to be expected of RPG's, from the lower levels all the way to the higher-end and advanced RPG's. I have had my fair share of run-ins with certain mods who I at first thought just did not like me. Soon I came to realize that they were simply trying to keep the calibur of their RPG at its best. That is my intention in this very "Textbook" if you will. It is not some elitist handbook, nor should everything inside be considered as universal laws, but these are the most fundamental things which exist in essence to only help you, the RPG'er. I am here not to beat you over the head because your can't RPG for beans (though the temptation to beat you has been great). My purpose is to simply give you what I wish I had known back when I started. This is not a complete set of tips and that is why we have a Q&A topic as well. I simply as that you take the time to read it and try to apply it. Again though I am by no means an uber-RPG'er, I know now that the following are things which every RPG'er, even non-n00bs, could use and learn from. Enjoy and may this be of a great help to you.SincerelyHikari and the XG.net Staff

CHAPTER 1: GrammarThe most important rule in any forum role playing is Good Grammar

In this post I will deal mainly with the grammatical side of RP'ing, and add the other aspects in later. You cannot have any other good aspect of RP'ing if you do not have good grammar. Good grammar is what allows you to communicate to others what your character is doing and how you are progressing the story line.

There are several obvious things when it comes to grammar:

1. Correct Spelling

2. Correct Punctuation

3. Mechanics

Not everyone will spell every word correctly, and of course when one is typing large amounts of text without the use of screening it in a word processor, there are high chances of typing errors. Both cases are understandable; however, there is a limit on how bad one's spelling can be. If one does not know how to spell, one ought to not post.One of the biggest problems in spelling errors is confusing the spelling of two homonyms: words that sound the same but have different meanings. The most common are the following:

Allot: to be given

A Lot: an amount without specific number

Alot: Is not a word

All Ready: meaning "completely repaired"

Already: meaning something that has happened before a certain time

All Right: everything is right

Alright: Not really a word.

Altar: A platform in front of a church or temple

Alter: To change something

Hear: Listen

Here: Location

Not: Negative

Nought: Nothing

Passed: As in gaining the lead, passing someone on the road, passing a certain point, etc.

And there are of course some commonly misspelled words (and other words they are occasionally confused with) below.

AAbsenceAccept (to agree, not except: which means to exclude)AccommodateAccompanyingAchievementAcrossAdvice (a noun, not Advise: a verb)Affect (to influence, not Effect which means "to bring into being, to accomplish")Aisle: (a lane between chairs or pews or other objects, often confused with Isle: an island)All Right (never alright)AlreadyAltar (a place of sacrifice, not Alter, which means to change)Altogether (confused with All Together, which means in a group or unified)AmongAnointArgumentAthleteA While (a period of time. often confuse with Awhile, an adverb meaning FOR a period of time)BBelieveBreatheBritainCCalendarCannot (never write as two words)CategoryCavalry (not pronunciation. don't confuse with Calvary)ChristianCite (to refer to. do not confuse with Site, meaning a location)Clothes (do not confuse with Cloths)ComingCompliment (to express esteem. don't confuse with Complement, meaning to complete or supply the deficiencies of)Conscious (aware. not Conscience, meaning the force that recognizes good and evil)ConsistentCouncil (a group of advisors. not Counsel, noun for non-legal advice or verb for adviseCriticismDDefinitelyDependentDescribe (also Description)DesperateDestructionDilemmaDiningDisastrousDrowned (pronounced with one syllable)EEntranceEnvironmentEquippedEscapeExaggerateExcelExerciseExistenceFForth (forward. not Fourth as in the number 4)FortyFurther (Also Furthermore)GGeniusGovernmentGrammarGrievousHHindranceHundredHypocrisyIIndependentInterestInterpretationInterruptIrrevelantIts (possessive pronoun; don't confuse with it's a contraction of it is)LLed (past tense and past participle of the verb Lead; do not confuse with Lead, pronounced like Led which is a soft metal)LiteratureLonelyLose (to fail to keep; don't confuse with loose. a verb meaning untie or detach, or an adjective meaning not tight)MMaintenenceMarriageMathematicsMeantMedievalMillenniumMiniatureMischievousMoralNNinetyNoticeableOOccasionOccurred (also Occurrence)OpportunityOptimismPPaid (past tense/past participle form of pay "to remunerate, to give in return for; do not confuse with Payed, past tense/past participle of pay "to slacken and allow to run out," as a rope)ParallelPassed (past tense/past participle of verb pass; do not confuse with Past, a noun, adjective, adverb, preposition)PastoralPerseverePersonalPiecePossessPrecede (do not confuse with proceed)PredominantPrejudicePrescriptionPrevalentPrinciple (fundamental law, rule, idea, component; do not confuse with Principal, adjective or noun meaning chief, or chief person)PrivilegeProfessionPursueQQuantityQuite (do not confuse with Quiet)RReceiveReferredRepentanceRepetitionRoommateSSacrilegiousSeizeSense (do not confuse with Cents)SeparateShepherdShiningSiegeSignificantSimilarSophomoreSponsorStationary (unmoving; don't confuse with Sationery, a noun meaning writing paper)StrengthStudyingSubtleSupriseTTemperamentTemperatureTragedyTransferredTrulyUUndoubtedlyUnnecessaryVVacuumVengeanceViewVillainWWierdWoman (plural is spelled Women)Writing

Let us also try to remember simple spelling rules, such as:

i before e except after c, or when sounding like "ay" as in neighbor and weigh [and on weekends and holidays and all throughout May, and you'll always be wrong no matter what you say!Twisted Evil]

Note: also typing in all capitol letters is fine for informal writing, however when story telling or using formal writing never type in all caps

. . .-Ellipses=ellipsis conssts of three periods, each preceded and followed by a single space. It indicates the omission of a word or words withint quoted material

?-Question Mark=ends a direct question

!-Exclamation Point=an exclamation point ends an empatic or exclamatory sentence or part of a sentence.*Note-Exclamation points are rarely used in professional writing. In other words, use them sparingly.*Note 2-It is not proper to use more than one exclamation point. Also try avoiding the usage of exclamatory questions (!?/?!)

,-comma=commas are used to separate and enclose. One comma separate, two commas enclose. Use commas to separate three or more items in a series.

;-Semicolon=semicolons separate coordinate elements where grammar or clarity requires more than a comma. Semicolons are also used to separate independent clauses joined by coordinate conjunctions where a comma would be insufficient to clarify. Semicolons also separate independent clauses where there are no coordinate conjunctions and the use of a comma would be a serious grammatical error known as a comma splice.

:-Colon=colons shows a resultant relationship between what precedes it and what follows it in the sentence. What precedes it must be a complete statement.

-=Dash>dashes set off interruptive sentence expansions and extensions. Dashes also set off afterthoughts and other breaks in thought

[]-Brackets=brackets are used to enclose parenthetical elements within parentheses. They also enclose parenthetical material inserted into quotations.

The final, yet equally important, piece of grammatical construction is mechanics. Due to the sheer immensity of this area, we will not be able to go into great detail; however, we shall attempt to cover a few common grammatical errors.

Never use double negatives.No: We don't got no bananas.No: I haven't never seen that beforeYes: We don't have any bananasYes: I have never seen that before.

Make sure your subject and verb agree with one another.

No: We was there at the party.Yes: We were there at the party.

Simple things such as that ought to be quite apperant if one sounds through the sentence.

Simple Writing Tips

Try to be clear in your sentence structure. As you write make sure your paragraphs are all on the same topic. A paragraph is a group of sentences that have a common topic or relation. Make sure your paragraphs aren't jumping all over the place. Make sure they have a clear focus and are all coherent.

Hopefully all of you are in school or have received some form of schooling in the english language. Though it may seem boring, I will indeed exhort you all to pay attention. Your teachers will have far more leniency than I or any of the other RPG leaders will.

Miscellaneous

RP'ing is storytelling, plain and simple. But storytelling is more than just saying what happens next, it is about making the story come alive. Therefore, bad grammar and and paragraphs like "And then he did this, and then this" are simply horrible. Be descriptive.

Also, in your posts, avoid profanity. First of all it is a horrible idea to have abundant profanity in your posts. Although it is not punishable, avoid it if it can be avoided. There are times when a character may curse, and that is understandable, but still an overabundant use of it in non-quotations and even in a character's quotations appears extremely unproffesional and unintelligent. If your character is supposed to be unintelligent, then perhaps it will be feasible to use profanity, but still try to avoid making it abundant within your post I know there are many adolescent posters here, to whom profanity seems cool, but as you grow up you will find out it is vastly overrated. A second reason for avoiding profanity is that this is supposed to be a site for all ages. So keep it clean guys and gals.

Chapter 2: Character Creation and ManagementA vital piece of the 'RP' puzzle is the characters which you create.

A character is a necessary figure which you, the RPG'er take control of and help develop the story through that character; however, you are also attempting to develop your character through the story. A character is an important figure in the sense that, you can't change much about them save for what they experience and learn throughout the story. So whatever you create is what you are pretty much stuck with. The only rare situations are when an RPG'er decides to kill off his character (which forces him to go through the hassle of having to create an entirely new character and, in some cases, get that character approved for the RPG). To avoid such hassles and to aide you, the RPG'er in having a more enjoyable experience, we will be discussing fundamental character creation rules as well as simple tips to tweak out a good character.The key to any good character is details. Remember that throughout this chapter as we discuss the different sections of character creation.

CreationIn order to begin any RPG one must first, create a character. Most character creations use the following template:

Name:Age:Race:Gender:Height:Weight:Eyes:Hair:Overall Appearance/Attire:Weapons (if weapons are needed in an RPG)Special Abilities/Strengths/Weaknesses:Personality:Biography:

You will find near limitless variations on the different templates of the one given above, but overall most RPG's will have that format - give or take some subjects and sometimes the order may be different.

When creating a character, you will more than likely come in with a predetermined idea. Often this idea will either be based on some concept for a character you feel that is unique (i.e. a warrior clown, a poor ministrel dragged into some conflict, etc.); the other pre-set idea, and the most common, is that you will base your character faintly off another character from some game, book, movie, or some other form of media which you have experienced.Far too frequently the latter is taken to the extreme by copying a character from one of the afore-mentioned media, partially or entirely. When creating a character, never copy a character, even in partiality. It is both godmodding (which will be discussed later) and lacking in talent. When you go to post your character, don't go posting that your desired character is none other than the hero of time himself! or some ther demented and blatent copy of an already existent (as well as copyrighted) character. Also do not take a character's weapons, attacks, or special abilitites. When you create a character for use in an RPG, and you claim that character as the character which you play, it is the same as if you were to steal something from a writer or musician and call it your own. It is one thing to use a character from some medium as an NPC, but it is a different thing to use them as your own. When creating a character, feel free to model your characters after certain heroes or individuals you may like or dislike, simply be sure to not copy them entirely.Unfortunately, many RPG'ers today model their characters after other characters from other mediums, not copying them entirely, but making that model cliche. You will never be hard pressed to find the "Dark, silent hero". Ironically enough, it is the character types that most RPG'ers believe to be "cliche" that are in fact much harder to find than the "unique" characters which they fashion themselves after. So many RPG'ers have tried "swimming upstream", that is trying to go against the regular 'flow' of RPG's that they are as common as salmon swimming upstream. But there are always those few who go with the stream, and thus against the crowd, setting themselves apart from the rest.

NameWhen creating a name for one's character, be sure that your characters name matches his backround. An elf is not going to be named Hyrushu Toyotomi just as a samurai would not be named Vladimir Stoyevski. If your character has a certain ethnic backround or circumstances or was raised by a particular society, those will all likely factor in when it comes to your character's name. There are times when a characters name will reflect a certain character trait of that particular character. Research names and their meanings and find which name you feel fits your character best. If your character is from a culture or backround of entirely original creation (meaning it is of a race, country, and backround all original with you) then one ought to feel free to combine names to define your character or better yet create your own name. Just be sure your name is going to fit your character.

AgeMany RPG'ers favor creating characters who are very young, usually about 16-20 years old. There is nothing wrong with a young character, simply be sure that your character has those disadvantages of youth, such as inexperience and lacking wisdom which an older character would posess. The most common loophole in this thinking is that your character has been trained since an early age, or that they have had much experience in their early age, or they are simply gifted. There are a myriad of choices concerning attributes of your character in spite of their age; however, be sure that no matter how trained or gifted your character is, young age will affect your character in some way. Be sure that your factor that in when it comes to the age of your character. Once again be sure to factor in race (which will be discussed later).

RaceChoosing a race for your character can be equally challenging in both the sense of uniqueness and factoring in their qualities and disadvantages. When RPG'ing with medival or fantasy RPG's players often favor elves or other similar humanoids over humans themselves. Though this is by no means a wrong choice, seeing as elves have several advantages over humans, it becomes ridiculous when so many choose elves, but so few know how to actually act like elves. So many RPG'ers choose elves, yet act as humans or even as barbaric as orcs do. Your race will determine your characters attributes as well as their profile. As mentioned before, race will play a part in the name of your character. Be sure you do some research on your desired race and see what words and common names they have among their people which you can use to name your character. Also be sure to research what the common age range is for your race of choice. If you choose an elf, chances are your character will not even be "of age" if they are only 17. If your character's race lives 300+ years, use those years! Many RPG'ers don't take into account the age advantage of certain races. If you can be 57 years and still as young as a 20 year old, why not do it?

Physical Profile (Appearance/Attire)Physical characteristics is the section where one is given (comparatively) more freedom in their character's creation. Although you must be - as with the other characteristics - mindful of their race and backround and how that would effect them, many times physical attributes of a character are more easily and eagerly changed than attributes dealing with personality, skills, and identification. There is not complete freedom when it comes to physical traits, but they are interchangeable and and more varied than names are. An RPG'er must still be wary that they do not give their elf too much height or weight seeing as such traits are not part of elf physiology, just as they would not make a dwarf too tall or skinny, seeing as dwarfs are always shorter and more robust than other races. Be sure to do your research in this area, thus eliminating faulty physical characteristics.The same principle should be applied to your character's attire, though such guidelines are not nearly as necessary, seeing as a character's backround would affect their clothing more than their race alone. If your character was an elf raised as an elf - of course which type of elf is also a factor - it is highly unlikely he will wear dwarvish, or ragged human clothing, since elves have a passion for the aesthetic. However should your character be a human raised by elves, then that human will have likely picked up the elvish taste for clothing, weaponry, and all other aspects of elvish culture. Even when it comes to armor, remember that certain races and cultures favor heavy armor, while others preferred armor which was not as strong but allowed superior movement. Such contrasts would include the difference between medival armor and samurai armor. This may seem exhaustive, but again, detail is key.

WeaponryThis is ususally the part of character creation which offers the most freedom and gives an RPG'ers character a chance to just have some fun. Ironically, this is the exact same place which the majority of god-modding occurs. A weapn ought to be something that fits your character, thus defining your character. Your character's development can sometimes rest in your weapon. His weapon choice dictates his favored fighting style and perhaps even his personality. If he has a massive sword, he often likes power; if a bow, he prefers to attack, but not be in the center of the fray; if a smaller rapier, he likes speed and agility. Hopefully you see my point. A weapon cannot be just some masterpwn weapon, it has to be something that gives your character both strength and weakness. So I highly recommend swords that "Cut through anything" be avoided.

Special Abilities/Strengths/WeaknessesThis is the area in which everyone, including some seasones RP'ers go faulty. Naturally you want a character that totally pwns everything in it's way or has some sweet immortality or ultimate swording skills, but the fact of the matter is that those traits in a character will, in most cases, take away from that character. A good character has flaws and weaknesses. I know when I was beginning most of my characters had the same weakness: their temper. I suppose that was okay for n00b characters, but truely great characters have other flaws, and not just mental flaws. Alot of times RPG'ers try to dance around a weakness by making it something like second guessing themselves or some other personality flaw or something that is, while indeed a weakness, does not quite make their character vulnerable. The biggest attraction to characters like spiderman or other great created characters is that they have a weakness. People love to identify with vulnerability. A character who is perfect at everything, or even just perfect in one particular area just really annoys the crap out of anyone else. Make sure your character is one that can be identified with by everyone. What I like to do in many cases is pick out my own vulnerabilities and expound on any ideas which those may provide for me and then apply them to my character.As far as special abilities are concerned, let me just put it this way, limit them heavily. Have a sweet move, but don't go pwning everything with it, or at least make it to where you can only use it once in a loong time or something.

PersonalityHere is where the true rut lies alot of times in RPG characters. Many go for the same old stereotype of some dark shadowy and silent figure, the really ditzy character, or other obvious personality types. Be random with your personality choices. What kind of personality do you have? What kind of personality do others that you know have? Just like you would find a weakness, find some quirk in yourself or in someone you know very well and expound on that. Have fun with personality. Don't be afraid to make characters which have personalities contrary to their other traits. Just have fun with character personalities, be creative, and sometimes you can come out with characters that even you can be proud of.

BiographyWell it's the history of your character, so don't mess it up too badly. The most important thing is that it makes sense. So naturally you can't have your character "Be born and then he was alone." That makes no sense whatsoever considering that people can't be born without the. . . "involvement" of others. Sadly though, I've seen quite a few biographies saying that exact thing. The other thing to be wary of when it comes to biographies is - as with the other areas of a character bio - is to not fall into the stereotype. The character's that grow up alone, or the character's that were orphaned, or unusually good at some skill, or murdered everyone in the village, etc. The list goes on of stereotypical character bios that RPG'ers all too commonly use. The best advice anyone can give to you about creating a character is thinking outside of the box. In rare cases, sometimes being a total box is ironically enough the way to get outside of the box.

Character DevelopmentThis is more involved with the 3rd chapter, but it deals with the management of your character so it shall be put here. Just creating a character, even if it is a good one, is not enough. You must, through your posts, continue to make your character grow and reveal even more about them. Don't be afraid to reveal a side of your character that you didn't put in your bio. If that sort of thing doesn't conflict with anything, then it makes it all the more interesting. One of the best parts of the end of an RPG is that when you are completed, you feel as if you have a totally different character than when you began, and that same character has grown into something more than anyone else, or perhaps even you expected. Show your character facing his fears, show your character's skills growing, show your character's inner struggles, show your character's inner triumphs. When all is said and done, you feel as if you have truly given life to your character because of how it has changed and grown with your nurture.

Chapter 3: The Roleplayer In ActionNow we come to RP'ing itself. This is where the "rubber meets the road", where your character gets put into action. Even if you have a great character, it will always be in vain if you cannot properly put that character into action.

Every RP'er needs to know that their post is not simply about their character alone, but that their post has an effect on every other character - directly or indirectly - and more importantly the overall story itself. That is why it is important that they make good, sensible RPG posts.

Two RoadsIn Role playing there are two ways to do so, or rather two perspectives. Whichever one you choose, which you can choose either one and even switch back and forth, just remember that throughout that RPG that you keep that style rather than keep transitioning back and forth between them throughout the course of your posts (or worst of all in a single post!) Try out both styles and see which fits you best. Preferably become comfortable with both, that way you are free to choose which to use in a specific RPG.

First PersonThe First type of RPG'ing is first person. First person means that you tell the story, the events, the feelings, the thoughts, and the actions all through the perspective of you. First person basically means you will be using many first person pronouns (I, me, we, us, etc.) Many feel that this allows the reader to get more in depth into the mind of the poster's character, which in some cases is true. Sometimes it does indeed help when someone speaks of "My agony". Many RPG'ers choose first person because in many ways it is far easier to convey thoughts and feelings through the eyes of the character, than to narrate them from the third person. Though this is the most personal, the truth is it lacks the proffesionalism and actual 'story feel' which is why most authors use third person perspective when telling a story. Since this is not professional writing, there is not really a need for that to be any big deal.

Third PersonThird person is more of a narrative style of RPG'ing. You are the storyteller and are telling the story from a higher plane than the character you use for the RPG. You, as the narrator, are able to read the thoughts of your character, thus making you able see and tell what the character is thinking and feeling. Third person is the preferred style of choice when it comes not only to more advanced RPG'ing, but in writing in general. For the most part it is only commentaries and articles which use first person when it comes to professional writing. If you want to make it feel like more of a story-telling experience or slightly more advanced feel, then go for third person.

Non-Player CharactersWithin an RPG there are certain characters who cannot be played by just any of the players, these are known as Non-Player Characters. The only person who can play or control an NPC is either the Game Master (GM) or whomever created the NPC. Often these are random civilians, characters which deal directly with the past of a certain other player's character, an extremely advanced character who ranks higher than the other players in the game, and of course villains. These characters are meant to develop the story from outside of the player's control. If the GM is the creator and user of the NPC, then he uses the NPC to progress the story or his character directly. If the NPC is created by one of the other players, it is often used in the character development aspect of RPG'ing. The player may use his or her NPC to reveal some part of his or her character's past, or show them some new path which their character may take, or even an antagonist of their character directly. NPC's are extremely useful, but ought to be used with care. If you are not the GM you must be sure that your NPC is not a character who will have an effect on the storyline directly (unless you have the GM's permission) and if you did not create the NPC, do not use or control the NPC unless you have permission from it's creator. Use them to develop, enhance, and better the story, just be sure you don't ham it all up with your NPC, especially if you are a GM.

GodmoddingThe sin and salvation of RPG'ing: godmodding. This action in RPG'ing takes place when an RPG'ers character becomes - for lack of better terms - immortal to anything and everything. This can happen in several ways. Some may come right out with their godmodding, even stating how their demi-god/immortal being can survive ridiculous things such as their heads being blown off or something else which is way out there. Some may have their character "snap" and unleash unearthly power with which to pwn any and all within range who oppose them. Perhaps the most annoying form of godmodding is when one godmods against another player's character. Some may suddenly go and break a fellow player's character's face in with total disregard of that player's character and even worse does so without their permission. Doing such a thing is not acceptable in virtually any case (though there may be certain situations which call for it.) However in the vast majority of cases, godmodding must be handled with caution. In the hands of an experienced RP'er who just goes slightly over the edge, it makes for an incredibly interesting post, but in the hands of the unexperienced players who go far beyond the godmodding line, it is not only a violation of virtually the most important of most RPG rules, it is also an incredible headache for regular players and game masters alike.

Controlling Another Players CharacterThis can be as big an annoyance, and at times even bigger, than godmodding itself, if mishandled. I suggest avoidance of controlling another's player character unless you and the other player (who's character you plan to control) are on the exact same page as to where you want to take the RPG through your two characters. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, just pull something out of your but and force the other player's character into doing it by controlling their character. Contorlling another players character is usually a deed reserved for players who have 1.) communicated via PM, AIM, or Email 2.) are going in the same direction together with their characters 3.) have a decent history or amount of time RPG'ing together. Those three things usually can determine your freedom in the ability to control another RPG'ers character. Many RPG's ban controlling another player's character entirely, but that is many times difficult to progress the story without at least mentioning another character and their actions and dialogue in one's post. All of the players in an RPG form a web, a team of writers, therefore each one must be at the same time independent, and dependent respectively. It sounds paradoxical but you must all write and play in your own style, while still being able to accomplish your task as one.

[s:83a2022040](c) D.J. Garcia all copying is prohibited without consent of author.[/s:83a2022040]